antimony - Sciencemadness.org

2 THE METALLURGY OF ANTIMONY.
terms had been used to stand for the sulphide of antimony up to the
time of Lavoisier.
In the beginning of the fifteenth century * or thereabouts there
lived in Germany a monk by the name " Basil Valentine," who has
been supposed to be the author of many books on antimony and its
allied subjects. As an historical figure he was shrouded vvitH
mystery. Doubts had been entertained as to the genuineness of the
writings attributed to him. Consequently Emperor Maximilian I.
commanded that this question should be examined into. The conclusion
was that he was a Benedictine monk of Southern Germany,
and that nearly all the works attributed to him had undergone many
changes and alterations, introduced by later authors, t City
Chamberlain Tholde, of Frankenhausen, Thuringia, published a list
of his works in the early part of the seventeenth century : Triumph-
Wagen des Antimonii ("Triumph Car of Antimony"); Von dem
grossen Stein der uralten Weisen (" On the Great Stone of the Ancient
Philosophers "); Offenbarung der verlorc/e?ien Handgriffe (" Revelation
of the Hidden Key ") ; Letztes Testament (" Last Testament");
Schlussreden (" Concluding Words"). The language he uses is frequently
obscured by mystical pictures and alchemistic ideas ; yet he
deserves the credit of having made many careful and conscientious
observations.
The most important of his writings is the Triumph' Wagen des
Antinionii.% Professor Schorlemmer has, however, shown that this
was a forgery, dating from about the year 1600. The nature of this
book can be seen from the following passage, as translated in lloscoe
and Schorlemmer's Chemistry: "In order, as is most proper, that I
may say something about the name of the material, it should be
understood that this material was long known to the Arabians, and
from ancient time was termed by them 'asinat.' The Chaldeans
entitled it 'stibium,' and in the Latin tongue it has been called
c antimonium' up to the latest times, and in our own German mothertongue
the. same material has been foolishly called ' Spicssglas,' for
this reason, that this material can be fluxed and a glass mado from
it." The operation of producing metallic antimony, as described by
* Probably Basil Valentine was born in the year 14G0, at Peteraklostor, in Erfurt.
t Consequently Basil Valentine is sometimes known as the pseudo-Basil
Valentine.
X This book has been translated into English : The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony,
by BasiKus Valentinns, translated by Theo. Kerckringius: James Elliot &
Co., London, 1893. It has also been translated into Latin by an unknown author
under the title Currus triuwpJictlis antimonii.